chapter 2
Of all of Earth's water, ________ percent is salt water. (3% is freshwater, we can only drink 1%)
97
Which factor has the greatest effect on soil building
climate
A continental shelf is an underwater extension of a ___________________
coastal plain
made up of icy dust particles and frozen gases
comet
What are three other objects that orbit the sun in the solar system
comets, asteroids, and meteoroids
The sun activates the water cycle by _______________ water from the surfaces of bodies of water
evaporating
A sudden earthquake as bent tectonic plates release tension is the result of ___________
faulting
Which internal process leads to earthquakes in places like California?
faulting
Desalination technology has been developed to resolve the problem of scarcity of _____________
freshwater
Which is most likely to have the greatest effect on a landscape
glacial erosion
More than two thirds of the Earth's freshwater is frozen as _______________ and ice caps
glaciers
The water that most people drink and use in their homes comes from
groundwater and aquifers
How does humidity affect the movement of water in the water cycle?
high humidity accelerates condensation and precipitation
About 70% of Earth's surface is part of the
hydrosphere
Where is Earth's freshwater supply located?
in glaciers, ice caps, lakes, streams, rivers, and underground
Where is 97 percent of the world's water found
in oceans
Desalination is most used
in places where freshwater is scarce
How does the sun drive the water cycle?
it evaporates water on earth's surface
Which is true about subduction
it involves an oceanic plate moving beneath a continental plate
Why is most of Earth's freshwater supply not available for consumption?
it is frozen in glaciers and ice caps
A major hurdle to desalination is
its cost
What are the outer planets (gas giant planets) because they are larger and more gaseous?
jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune
Why is landform a misleading term
landforms are also found underwater
Surrounding the inner core of Earth is another band also composed of iron and nickel called the _________________
liquid outer core
Landforms are natural features at the surface of the Earth's uppermost layer, known as the _______________
lithosphere
The Andes Mountains were created by the forces of _____________
subduction
_________________ is the physical process in which heavy oceanic plates slide under continental plates
subduction
A solar system consists of a group of planets revolving around the same _______
sun
What is at the center of the solar system
sun
How do seas, gulfs, and bays differ from oceans
they are partially enclosed by land
Why are gas giant planets sometimes referred to as "mini solar systems"
they have moons
Which of the following best describes the movement of planets, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids
they revolve around the sun
Earth's lithosphere consists of what?
Crust, continents, and ocean basins
What planets comprise the solar system and where are they located?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are in orbit around the sun
What keeps the planets revolving around the sun?
The gravitational pull from the earth and the sun
The Earth's ______________, which is composed of 78 percent nitrogen, reaches over 348 miles (560 km) from the surface of the Earth
atmosphere
Which part of the biosphere provides oxygen
atmosphere
The three layers of Earth are?
core, mantle, and crust
Of Earth's three structural layers, the hottest is which?
core, which includes a solid inner core and a liquid outer core
lowest dry point on earth
dead sea
How does accretion cause continents to grow outward
debris from the levelling off of underwater mountains piles up
Pluto is considered to be a(n)
dwarf planet
_________ is the largest of the inner planets
earth
Which of the following is caused directly by plate tectonics
earthquakes
How does human activity impact the biosphere
humans can improve the biosphere by providing significant resources for the living things on Earth but also can kill those living things for their own needs
Lakes and rivers are part of the
hydrosphere
The _______________ includes all liquid and frozen surface water, ground water, and water vapor
hydrosphere
What are earth's water systems called
hydrosphere
In what way is the job of the astronomer similar to that of the geographer
mapping to organize information
Which four planets are closest to the sun (terrestrial planets)
mercury, venus, earth, and mars
smaller objects that orbit a planet
moons
highest point on earth
mount everest
Why might it be impossible for life to exist on neptune
neptune is extremely cold
Which of the following is part of the lithosphere
ocean basins
Earth is part of a larger ____________ system that contains other planets, moons, and stars
physical
What are moraines?
piles of rocky debris left left by melting glaciers
What orbits the sun
planets
The physical processes that create most of Earth's physical features, including mountains, are known as
plate tectonics
Most of Earth's freshwater is in _________ ice caps
polar
Rain, snow, and sleet are examples of
precipitation
How does the biosphere support life on Earth
provides water, oxygen, and other resources
a body that orbits a larger body
satellite
In what physical system does Earth exist
solar system
What does the expression "This year's rain is last year's snow" refer to?
the amount of water on earth does not change and is cycled in an unending process despite its changing physical state
Why doesn't the total volume of water in the water cycle change
the amount of water that evaporates is the same as the amount of water that falls back to Earth
In which part of the Earth's biosphere is Mt. Everest located
the atmosphere
Which layer of Earth includes Earth's surface
the crust
What drives the water cycle
the sun
What provides the energy that drives the water cycle?
the sun
Why would a geographer think understanding our solar system is important?
to understand how Earth fits into this system, much as how different areas of Earth fit together
What organisms might live in the hydrosphere
underwater living organisms such as fish and sharks
The total amount of __________ on Earth does not change, but it is constantly moving
water
The Grand Canyon was slowly created by what kind of external force?
water erosion
What causes rivers to swell as they flow toward a lake, gulf, sea, or ocean
water from tributaries
In condensation, warm air cools and
water vapor becomes liquid
Earth's surface is made up of 70 percent _________ and 30 percent __________
water; land
An example of an external force of change is
weathering
Wind and water movements, which are external forces that change the Earth's surface, involve two processes: ___________________
weathering and erosion
______________________ is an external force that is constantly changing the surface of Earth
weathering and erosion
What three areas of Earth work together so life in the biosphere thrives?
Hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere
Which natural landform joins two continents
Isthmus of Panama
earth's most visible landforms as seen from space are
continents
Earth's oceans are one huge, _______________ body of water
continuous
___________________________ are a source of freshwater
Aquifers, groundwater, rivers, lakes, and streams
Earth is one of the four
Terrestrial planets
What classifies our solar system's four inner planets as terrestrial?
They have solid, rocky crusts
Which of the following examples illustrates the difference between physical weathering and chemical weathering
a rock is broken into smaller pieces by physical weathering, but some cave formations are created by chemical weathering
Define continental shelf and explain where it is located
an extension of a continent; underwater
_________________ are small, irregularly shaped, planet-like objects found mainly between Mars and Jupiter
asteroids
Mt. Everest has such high altitudes that it is almost outside which part of the biosphere
atmosphere
The ______________ is the part of Earth where life exists
biosphere
The only layer of Earth that supports life is the _____________
biosphere
outside the _________, life can only exist with mechanical life-support systems
biosphere
Earth is slightly rounder around the ______ than the top and bottom
center
The process of _______________ occurs when water vapor in the air becomes cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds
condensation
Scientists think that Pangaea separated due to what?
continental drift
an underwater extension of the coastal plain is the
continental shelf
What creates ridges and islands when plates spread apart
magma
Next to Earth's outer core is a thick layer of hot, dense rock called the __________
mantle
Which of Earth's layers is thickest?
mantle
